Davenport.



l. M. RICHARDSON.

DAVENPORT.

APPUCATION FILED JULY 6.1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET l- WITNESSES: INVENTOR ATTORNEY L'M.RICHARDSON.

DAVENPORL' APPLICATION FILED JULY 6,1918.

1 $885682 Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

ZSHEETS-SHEET z WITNESSES: INVENTOR Zrdv/ ATTORNEY JOHN RICHARDSON, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

DAVENPORT.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1%118.

Application filed July 6, 1918. Serial No. 243,594.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN M. RICHARDSON,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Daveuports, and Ido hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My present invention relates to new and useful improvements in foldable" couch beds or davenports, more particularly of that type wherein the seat member of the daven port may be swung outwardly to form one of the bed bottom sections.

It is in general the obyect of the invention .to simplify and strengthen the structure of devices of this character, and to increase the readiness with which they may; be manipulated for their various uses.

Itis a further and important object to provide an arrangement wherein the outward swinging movement of the seat member of the davenport forming the outer bed bottom section procures a vertical movement of an inner bed bottom section carried within the davenport frame whereby both members lie in a common raised plane in final bed-forming position, the inner bed bottom section serving also to counter-balance the outer section in its swinging movement, whereby to facilitate manipulation thereof.

A more detailed object in this connectionresides in a provision of an arrangement for locking the inner bed bottom section against retracting movement by the outer section in its bed-forming position whereby collapse of the bed is prevented except. upon positive u ward swinging movement of the outer. be section.

A common difiiculty encountered in davenport structures of this type is the damage caused to the front edge face of the seat structure when the seat structure is swung outwardly and downwardly, by engagement of said face against the front of the davenport frame. It is a further'object of the present invention to provide an arrangement whereby such damage is avoided, and it is more particularly the object to provide a facing member movable upon movement of the seat member to a position wherein any contact with its finishedfaoe is avoided.

A further'object resides in the provision of a counter-balancing means for lifting the back member of the davenport, and holding it in lifted position in the use of the davenmy invention, with the parts thereof in couch forming position.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View through the davenport with the parts thereof in bedforming position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the lower portion of the davenport.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the davenport frame in the present embodiment of my invention comprises a pair of side walls 5,'having their upper forward portions suitably shaped to provide arm rests and connected at their upper rear corners by atop sill 6. A connecting beam 7 for the side walls 5 is secured thereto against lower portions of their The back member B of the davenport. is

movable'vertically from a normal position in the davenport frame, and to support the back member and eifect this vertical movement thereof, a link 9 is pivoted-to the intermediate portion of each end of the back member, and in the normal position of the back member inclines upwardly and rearwar'dlytherefrom and is pivotally mounted on its upper end on a pivot rod 10 extending between the walls of the frame. Pivoted to the lower portion of each end of the back member B is a leverll which also extends upwardly and rearwardly and has its intermediate portion mounted on a second pivot bar 12 extending between the walls. Thus the back member may be swung from a position resting against and inclined downwardly from the top wall 6, to a position wherein its upper portion is raised above the top 6. For effecting this swinging movement of the back member, links 13 are secured to the. rear ends of the intermediately pivoted levers 11 and extend downwardly to the lower portion of the frame, being provided at their lower ends with longitudinal slots 14:, re-

ceiving stop pins 15 which are movable into forward extensions 16 of the lowerextremities of the'slots. Retractile springs 17 have their upper ends connected with the upper portions-of the links, and have their other ends secured to the side walls 5 at points 18 rearwardly of and adjacent to the lower ends of the links.

The springs thus counter-balance the weight of the back member B and possess such additional strength as to lift the back member to its raised position upon release of the pins 15 from the extensions 16 of the slots. This releasing movement is effected by means of levers 19 intermediately secured on a rock shaft 20, and having their upper ends engageable with the links, their lower ends terminating in large forward pedal extensions 19, either of which may be depressed by an operators foot inserted in the usual cutaway portion of the side wall. This lifting movement of the back member provides clearance for the swinging movement of the seat member to bed forming position.

Taking up now the bed bottom and seat structure, there is provided an inner bed bottom section 21 which, when the davenport is used as a couch seats on the beam Y 7 and which is of such width that its rear edge in the present instance projects a considerable distance rearwardly of the lower portion of the back member B. Secured to each end of the bed bottom section at its rear is a link 22 which is pivoted on a bolt 23 mounted in arecess 24 cut into the upper portion of the said beam 7. Intermediately pivoted to the forward portion of each end of the bed bottom section is a lever 25 which has its lower end pivoted in a recess 26 similar to the pivot recess of the link 22, the links and levers being inclined rearwardly in the seated position of the bed bottom section on the beam 7. Thus, the bed bottom section maybe swung upwardly and forwardly whereby its forward edge projects from the walls 5. Secured at its forward bottom edge to the forward top edge of section 21 by means of hinges 27 is an outer bed bottom section 28 which is adapted to seat on the bed bottom section 21 and which has a seat cushion S mounted on its face uppermost in this position. Secured to the forward portion of each end of this bed bottom section 28 is a link 29 which extends rearwardly and is provided with a longitudinal slot 30 in its rear end in which is mounted a pin 31 carried on the upper end of the adjacent lever 27.

Thus, upon swinging the bed. bottom section 28 upwardly, the pin will ride in the slot 30 until it engages the end of the slot and the section 28 has assumeda substantially vertical position. Further swinging movement of the section 28 will then raise 1,2 ss,csa

position heretofore described, the complete swinging movement of the section 28 being through an arc of 180 whereby it lies in the raised plane of the section 21 to thus form a bed' located at a comfortable elevation.

To provide a facing for the front of the davenport in its couch forming relation of parts which will not be injured upon disposition of said parts in bed forming position, a facing plate 32 is provided having its lower edge hinged at 33 to the edge of the beam 7, this plate being of such width as to extend to the'meeting plane of the bed bottom sections in their couch forming rethe section 21 on pivot mountings to the lation. Links 33 are pivoted to the intermediate portions ofthe ends of the plate and to the levers 25. 'So far as the connections of the links 33 with the levers 25 are concerned, the levers may discharge simply the functions of links such as the links 22 in the possible event that any means for lifting the inner bed bottom section is employed, other than the means shown. Hence in this respect theterm links may be applied to the members 25 with respect to their portions between the bed bottom and connecting beam pivots.

hus, as the sections are swung to bed forming position, the-plate 32 will be swung outwardly, affording ample clearance for movement of the section 21. The forward edge of the section 21 thus need not beprovided with a finished surface, 'since it is, in retractedposition, dis o'sed behind the face of plate 32 and this orward surface is of such nature as forward edge surface of the section 28 when it is swung to a position opposite thereof.

A comparatively simple davenport structure has thus been provided wherein an economy particularly of metal parts may be effected, since the seat box forms one of the bed bottom sections. The structure may be most readily and conveniently operated, it being noted that the outer bed bottom section 21 does not exert any lifting action until it has reached a substantially vertical position, and then the lifting action exerted thereby on the section 21 procures a counterbalance of these parts.

It will be further noted that as the bed bottom section 28 moves to bed forming position, the links 29 move past the pivot connections of said section. Thus, a positive not to damage the finished lockis afiorded against collapsing movement 25' against the forward vertical walls of their pivot recesses 24 and 26.

What is claimed is: 1 A foldable couch bed including a main frame, a bed bottom section, levers intermediately pivoted to the bed bottom section, the lower ends of said levers being pivoted to the frame, a second bed bottom section hinged at one edge to an edge of the first named bed bottom section, llIlkS pivotally secured to the second bed bottom section adjacent its hinged axis and having pivotal connections with the other ends of the levers, and said links being movable past the hinge axis of the second bed bottom section in final swinging movement of said section.

2. A foldable couch bed including a main frame, a bed bottom section therein, pivot links connecting the bed bottom section and frame and mounting said bed bottom section for movement thereof upwardly and forwardly with respect to the frame, a second bed bottom section hinged at its lower forward edge to the upper forward edge of the first bed bottom section, a facing plate adapted for disposition at the forward face of the first named bed bottom section in retracted position thereof, and hinged at its lower edge to the frame, and links pivoted to the facingplate and toadjacent first named links.

3. A foldable couch bed including a main &

frame, a bed bottom section, a pivotal support carried by said frame for said bed bottom section ermitting movement of the section upwar y and outwardly toward the front of the frame, a combined bed bottom and seat section hinged at the lower portion of. its front edge face to the upper portion of the front edge face of the first named bed bottom section, the front edge face of the combined seat and bed bottom section being exposed when the said section is swung inwardly and downwardly, a shield plate hinged adjacent its lower edge to the front portion of the main frame below the first named bed bottom section and normally covering the front edge face of the first named bed bottom section with its upper edge terminating substantially at the lower margin of the front edge face of the bed bottom and seat section in downwardly swungposition of said first named bed bottom section, and means for procuring movement of the shield plate upon movement of the first named bed bottom section.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin. I

JOHN M. RICHARDSON. 

